A FORMER high sheriff of Gwynedd has died at the age of 99.

Owen Jonathan, who was brought up in Tywyn, but was resident in Criccieth for the last three decades, passed away last month.

Born in Bodedern, Anglesey in 1917, he and his brother, Samuel Kenyon Jonathan, were brought up in Tywyn, where their father was the proprietor of the well-known haberdashery Cambrian House.

Mr Jonathan (seen right) was educated at what was originally called Tywyn Intermediate School - now Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn - and then studied at Aberystwyth University where he commenced his training to become a doctor.

Having obtained his First MB there, he completed his studies at Guy’s Hospital, London, qualifying as a doctor in 1942.

He then gained his commission in the Royal Army Medical Corps and, after training in Northern Ireland and Southern England, was posted to the Far East where he served in India, Ceylon, Burma, Indonesia and Vietnam until he was demobilised in 1946, having attained the rank of captain.

On return to this country he resumed his civilian medical career as a doctor and, having decided to specialise in surgery, trained in Wales as well as receiving specialist training in London and the United States.

In 1949 he married Lowry (nee Thomas) of Abererch, Pwllheli and they had three children, Ann, Owen and David.

In due course he became grandfather to Sarah, Hugh, Frances, Emma, Sophie, Elizabeth, Josephine and Lowry and great grandfather to Emily, Thomas and Patrick.

In 1959, Mr Jonathan was appointed a consultant surgeon in South Wales but three years later was able to achieve his ultimate ambition of returning to live and work in north Wales, when he was appointed a consultant surgeon in what would become Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, where he remained in practice until his retirement in 1983.

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